Go All-Organic!
CSUMB’s cafeteria could be pilot for nationwide move to organics on campus.
FOOD&WINE fall05 Demand for organic foods has been steadily expanding from what was an esoteric stratum into a demographically mixed consumer group—yet still only a handful of chefs in Monterey County restaurants are committed to ...
Pub Grub That’s Brilliant
The Mucky Duck creates a California version of the British “gastropub.”
Upon entering a pub, even the most pessimistic, arrogant or timid individuals typically become infected by a glass-half-full state of mind, adopt a humble yet lively demeanor, and interject friendly comments into nearby conversations. Though ...
Pizza My Heart has stolen mine.
Ten years ago I announced to my man that my last meal, should I be in a position to choose it, would be pesto pizza from Pizza My Heart in Santa Cruz. He was surprised ...
The story of one man’s efforts to turn the building industry green.
David Gottfried isn’t the first son in history so blinded by his father’s demand for success that he followed an ambitious course that led to an early mid-life crisis. In fact, he had two by ...
a la mode
Local chefs reveal what’s cooking in food fashion.
Until recently, the frontier of cuisine was located on isolated geographical fronts that inched forward glacially. Today food is a global fashion industry, fueled by intrepid explorers intent on discovery, forceful agents bent on change, ...
Good and Fast
Adrian’s Gourmet Kitchen dishes it out natural.
The new century heralds the rise of the upscale deli-café: fast, high-quality food. Adrian’s Gourmet Kitchen is the newest local example of this fashion that I estimate has already assumed a more fundamental, fade-proof status. ...
Marinus has received Zagat's highest rating, and deserves it.
Photo by Jane Morba: Masterful: Chef Cal Stamenov has guided Bernardus Lodge''s Marinus to the top of the Zagat Guides''s 2004 list. If Cal Stamenov--executive chef of a burgeoning group of Carmel Valley restaurants that ...
With more than 50 rolls on the menu, Sushi Heaven is just that.
Photo by Jane Morba: Heavenly Bites: Chef "Sun" Huh (right) takes sushi rolls to the next level at Carmel''s newest sushi restaurant. During a relatively recent period of human evolution a sushi-eating civilization has arisen ...
Tepa-Sahuayo offers an amazing array of unusual Mexican dishes.
Photo by Bradley ZeveOn The Edge: Tepa-Sahuayo in Watsonville serves delicacies of southwestern Mexico. Tepa-Sahuayo is a restaurant with no counterpart in Monterey County, and it''s only one exit north of the county line as ...
Edgar's at Quail Lodge is more than an apr& %s;s-golf bar.
Photo by Randy Tunnell: After The Game: Drown your sorrows in a bacon-blue cheese burger. The name of a new dining establishment in the recently renovated Quail Lodge golf club--Edgar''s Restaurant--provokes the question, "Who is ...
Mizu Sushi ups the ante for Carmel's Japanese restaurant scene.
Photo by Randy Tunnell: Won''t Break The Bank: Mizu Sushi offers reasonable prices--for Carmel. After 16 months and two owners, Mizu Sushi in Carmel finally has a buzz going. Since Tony Ventura purchased the Japanese ...
PG's Red House Cafe branches out.
Photo by Randy Tunnell. Comfort Food: The Red House Cafe does your favorites right. Bring your hungry, your stressed, and your overworked. Red House Cafe will ease the pain. It''s not about snappy, cutting-edge this ...
Next month, Earthbound opens the nation's third certified organic kitchen.
Photo by Randy Tunnell: Dishing It Out: Pam McKinstry (left) and Mark Marino get ready for The Organic Kitchen.The Earthbound Farm Stand on Carmel Valley Road has always been able to enhance a routine errand ...
A new farmers' market for Marina gives customers more local choice.
Photo by Randy Tunnell: Farmer In The Dell: Jamie Collins of Serendipity Farms drives a vintage tractor in her Moss Landing fields. Farmers'' markets have been blooming across California like lupin in a long spring. ...
Zocalo opens down the street from Peppers--Mexican food heaven in PG.
Photo by Randy Tunnell: Zocalo is a fine addition to the neighborhood. It''s the real deal--a solid, traditional experience. A new Mexican restaurant recently opened in Pacific Grove one block from Peppers, the bazillion-time winner ...
Merlot Bistro promises fine dining at a moderate price--for Carmel, that is.
Photo by Randy Tunnell A restaurant''s decor is usually the first element that engages me during a dining experience. But when I walked into Merlot Bistro for the first time a few nights ago, it ...
Fresh from a $750,000 renovation, the Pacific's Edge lays claim to first-class standing.
Photo by Randy Tunnell: First In Its Class: Ocean views from every table. The Highlands Inn is a grande dame with a checkered past. For some time, it seemed she''d lost her ambition. Two years ...
Quick-grilled Mexican fare and south-of-the-border souvenirs mingle at The Haute Enchilada.
Photo by: Randy Tunnell. Laying It On: Order inside, and they''ll assemble your sandwich on the spot. I like to think I know all the cool places to dine in our county, but I''m glad ...
Where the plus-fours crowd goes to unwind.
Photo by Randy Tunnell: Mission Ranch is a popular place to chill out and enjoy the view. There are drawbacks to living in a place constantly overrun by visitors, but it also means we don''t ...
The Highlands Inn is the perfect setting for a perfectly good meal.
Two first-rate restaurants, a lounge overlooking Point Lobos, and a fine art gallery provide four good reasons for locals who already have a bed for the night to visit the Highlands Inn. Any one of ...
The wait is worth it at First Awakenings.
First Awakenings, Monterey County''s breakfast headquarters, gets me to thinking about the chasm between Great Britain and the European continent when it comes to the morning repast. Sail south across the English Channel and breakfast ...
A shared a dinner around 'Van Gogh's table' provides a taste of Casanova's charm.
Photo: From France With Table--French chefs mix it up at Casanova (left); Van Gogh''s restaurant then (top right) and now (bottom right). Photo (left) by: Randy TunnellI was invited to a recent press dinner at ...
The Restaurant at Big Sur Lodge offers upscale dining in a rustic setting.
Photo by Randy Tunnell; Photo: Loaf Of Bread, A Tree, And Thou:Casual lunch and elegant dinner, it''s your pick at the Big Sur Lodge. I''m not an expert on State Park cuisine, but I''m betting ...
Finding Chaya Japanese Restaurant takes some doing, but the search is worth it.
Photo: Bento Box: Try something a little different at Chaya. Photographer: Randy Tunnell The average American consumer is by now familiar with the basics of Japanese cuisine. Teriyaki was the first item to go mainstream, ...
Carmel's Power Juice gets your engine revved up the right way.
Photo by Randy Tunnell; Clean Fuel: Wheat grass and lettuce are center stage at Power Juice. Thirty years ago, running a restaurant devoted to organic food, fresh squeezed juice, and low fat, nutritious food was ...
The new Carmel Bistro is one of the best values in town.
Photo by Randy Tunnell. Photo: Bistro Fair--a bright room, relaxed staff and good food and wine make Carmel Bistro work. The restaurant-owner fantasy is rampant--not only among the experienced, but also among home cooks, creatively ...
Marina's Wild Thyme brings fast, good food to North County.
Photo by Randy Tunnell. Photo: Sandwich King-Wild Thyme fills empty bellies in Marina. Delicatessens are like restaurants turned inside out. The food, beverages and accoutrements are in plain sight, creating a vital symphony of abundance, ...
Peppers has been going strong in Pacific Grove for 16 years.
Photo by Randy Tunnell. Photo: Hot Stuff-more than just rice and beans is on the plate at Peppers. The entryway at Peppers may boast the highest population per square foot in Monterey County. Show up ...
Thai Village brings Thai cooking back to Carmel Valley.
Photo by Randy Tunnell. Photo: Lemon Pledge- Thai cooking relies heavily on pungent salads and fresh produce. Carmel Valley, California''s smallest winemaking appellation, is now the home of Thai Village. Yet, in spite of our ...
The Covey has a new chef, new dishes, and a spiffed-up look.
Photo by Randy Tunnell. Photo: Sauce It Up- Classic cooking techniques prevail at The Covey. The Covey has been serving fois gras to customers since 1971. For years, it held the distinction of being the ...
Hanagasa Japanese restaurant is an unpretentious culinary gem often missed.
Photo by Randy Tunnell Photo: Sushi looks simple on the plate, but it takes years to perfect the delicate preparation techniques, as Ryo Chiba of Hanagasa has. Few Carmel restaurants can pull off an atmosphere ...
Kurt Grasing and company's Carmel Chop House offers big-city thrills.
Photo: Head chef Kurt Grasing brings a sophisticated sensibility to the Carmel Chop House. Photographer: Randy Tunnell Carmel Chop House was born in spring, 2001-before the economy palpably tanked and when 911 was only a ...
Chez Felix delivers the flavors of Provence simply and perfectly.
Photo by Randy Tunnell. It''s been six years since I''ve been to a traditional French restaurant. Even on a visit to France, there were alternatives. I do appreciate the French and their wonderful food, but ...
Taste Cafe & Bistro brings all of the elements together into a pleasing whole.
Photo by Randy Tunnell. Taste Cafe & Bistro is one of those before-and-after stories. "Before" was when the founding owners ran the restaurant, until they sold it to open Cafe Rustica in Carmel Valley. "After" ...
Bahama Billy's brings a breezy style and tasty fare to Carmel.
Photo by Randy Tunnell. At the entrance to Bahama Billy''s, a mannequin with dreadlocks flowing from a hat of Rastafarian colors sits at a piano as a Jimmy Buffett tune plays. It''s time to relax ...
Casual elegance reigns at Carmel Valley's Wickets.
Not all restaurants are so informed by their surroundings. Wickets Bistro, the bar-restaurant in Bernardus Lodge, cannot be separated from its large, stucco home of Tuscan ochre and terracotta, nor from the land that was ...
In search of the American dream, 100 babesin the Hollywoods pitch scripts and battle for options in a down-and-dirty screenwriting cattle call.
831 -- Tales From the Area Code One hundred writers in a room. I have been expecting an urbane gathering of intellectuals, perhaps swathed in collegiate chic--faded blue jeans, boots, the occasional beret. Instead, I ...
The spirit of Clint Eastwood still lingers at the Hog's Breath Inn.
feast The summer of ''77, while between college semesters, my friends and I used to make the rounds in Carmel. We usually started with Maxwell McFly''s on Ocean, strolled down to Kim Novak''s bar, Sadie''s, ...
New restaurant causes a delicious commotion in Salinas.
Dining Review For too long, Salinas, a hardworking town with a penchant for growing lettuce, has played a supporting role to that glamorous temptress, the Monterey Bay coastline. Hullabaloo, a bright new light in Salinas'' ...
At Massaro&Santos, the food really is as great as the view.
When I consider my travels, it''s become a cliche that restaurants with great views don''t always serve great food. I approached Massaro&Santos with that skepticism, only to have my stereotype subverted by this latest brainchild ...
Seventeen days, sixteen short stories.
Last summer, we spent 17 days traveling in a single-engine plane from Monterey to Montreal and back; a trip that yielded 16 take-offs, 16 landings and 16 short stories. We skimmed the country, it's true, ...
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